The curved form of the Illusuak Cultural Centre is an homage to the temporary sod houses traditionally constructed by the Labrador Inuit.
PROJECT Illusuak Cultural Centre, Nain, Labrador
ARCHITECTS Saunders Architecture with Stantec (local architect)
PHOTOS Bent René Synnevåg
TEXT Todd Saunders
AS TOLD TO Susan Nerberg
The Illusuak Cultural Centre, designed by Todd Saunders of Saunders Architecture with Stantec, recently opened as a gathering place for the Labrador Inuit, the southernmost Inuit population in Canada. A stand-out structure with undulating walls, the centre would be as novel in a large, design-forward city as it is in the small community of Nain. Here, it serves as the nexus of a cultural revival, showcasing Labrador Inuit ingenuity and traditions nearly lost as a result of colonialism. Illusuak was commissioned by the government of Nunatsiavut?the Labrador Inuit self-governing region formed after a successful land claims agreement in 2005?to celebrate Inuit culture. In the process, the region also got a beacon that places it on the architectural map.
Saunders tells Canadian Architect about building trust with a people which has survived centuries of deception from settlers; the challenges of designing in a remote location for a culture with no permanent architectural precedent of its own; and why Illusuak is different from any other project the Newfoundland-born, Norway-based architect has worked on so far.
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